Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-01-26
&eadiug.
SKEPTICISM IN THE NURSERY.

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SKEPTICISM IN THE NURSERY.
In the theatre the other evening had for
neighbors father and his son. The latter
had entered on his teens, and was boy
who liked to have everything explained
to him. His guardian was one of those
fathers to whom it is pleasure to ex-
plain. Before the curtain rose the lad
detected "Honi soft q,ti NAL q pense" in
scribed on it, and Immediately thirsted
for its history. His father told him the
pretty old story, and when he had finished
the boy asked "But why did the courtiers
smile?" I mention this to merely remind
myself that there are still some boys left
who don't know everything. If my chill
dren had been in that boys place they
would have smiled, too-not at the story,
but at my credulity in believing it. I
should learn from them at once either
that garters were not worn in those days,
or that what King Edward really said
was something quite different. Scepti-
cism nowadays begins in the nursery. ]
fdonst tsknow's sfhHtSt Sis b matter 70 sbe
turned from with laugh; perhaps there
is something in it too serious for that.
!
boy at twelve knows more Latin than l
did at fifteen but wish more things were
Greek to him. He hastjust learned, with
great deal more satisfaction than it has
given me, that Wellington never said
Sup, guards, and at themw All the Gen
eral said was, it seems, "Now, men, get
ready" or something to that effect. Pos
sibly; but if so it should have been kept
dark. Sup, Guards, and at them !" The
eyes of the boys of my day glistened when
they heard the tale. aEngland," said
Nelson, 'expects every man to do his
duty" Oh dear no; nothing of the sort.
Any young fellow of thirteen can tell you
that there is good ground for believing
that Nelson never used those words. All
can say is that the boy of forty years ago
would have stood up for the phrase as
long as he could see out of either eye.
Only this summer it was discovered, ap-
parently to the delight of every one, that
the Queen never pointed to a Bible when
asked by a foreign potentate what was "the
secret of England's greatness" Yet the
engraving that illustrates the incident
is perhaps the most popular of all pictures
in the houses of the poor, and thousands of
children have got their first sermon from
it. However, they will know better now.
Our boys understand history as we never
did. They find it difficult to believe that
their fathers, in their young days, accepted
for moment the story of Tell and the
apple. There never was such person as
William Tell. 1t is "myth," not i'm
probably connected somehow with the
Sun-god. Here is an instructive proof
that our boys will have no more of these
old legends. Until lately the most popu-
lar of the shooting galleries" at fairs was
the William Tell. In this a wooden fig
ure of human being represented Tells
son, and it stood at the back of the tent
with ball painted like an apple on its
head. The marksman fired at the apple
or ball if you willard if he knocked it
off he got cigar. This used to appeal
effectively to the boyish imagination, and
I know that we practiced till we became
Tells in point of aim, and, l dare say,
made ourselves very sick with the cigars
afterwards. Our boys, however, have
"chaffed" the t'William Tell' Snowman
out Of Livelihood. They prefer to fire at
glass bottle suspended by string, and
ferent sort of prize, because ''show" cigars
are never good. Fancy our knowing atthat
age whether cigar was good or not Dur
ing the holidays my eldest son came into
the library one day and tunbled the
books about until asked him what he
wanted. What he wanted was WAS in
the Encyclopedia Britannica. I found it
for him; but, after he had done with the
book, he was not satisfied. "Are any of
George WashingtOn's relatives living
yet?" he inquired. Why was he so curl
Gus? He had his doubts about the story
of Washington and the hatchet, and
thought of writing to the hero's family to
clear up the point. could have boxed
his ears (Heavens! how he would have
been startled), and as it was, bundled him
out of the room. And yet / suppose it
was greatly to his credit. 1t showed an
intelligent "interest" in his studies, and
what an age of research it is. Children
used to revel in the stories told them by
their mothers. These stories were link
between mother and child artists painted
them together as the tale was being un-
folded and no one laughed because the
child was represented listening breath
lessly. Many books were written under
such titles as "Tell Me a Story" for assist
ing the mothers imagination. Some of
these stories are told still, but it is hardly
worth while to narrate them. The chill
dren take them as matterof course, and
anticipate the eud. They don't believe
for moment that the wolf ate little Red
Riding Hoods grandmother and the very
fact that Jack is small and the giants very
large lets them know at once that he will
overcome them all.
HAPPINEss.-Every one desires to be
happy. The condition of heaven is in the
ambition ofearth. What the angels have,
men long to acquire. Religion as a source
of happiness comes to me, therefore, with
great natural advantage in its favor !;
for men crave from instinct the very eX-
perience it is calculated to bestow. But
how is it in point of fact? "Why, the